


The Matt Anderson Dating Agency

by Clea2011



Category: Primeval
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Future Fic, Humour, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-15
Updated: 2014-05-15
Packaged: 2018-01-24 22:58:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1620026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Clea2011/pseuds/Clea2011
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Matt was really getting tired of watching them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Matt Anderson Dating Agency

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the trope bingo square 'futurefic' and the Primeval Denial bingo square 'Courtship rituals'. Also written due to Celeste and D1 telling me to write tooth-rottingly soppy Becker.
> 
> Thanks to Deinonychus_1 for looking it over.

The problem with Becker, Matt realised as the soldier wandered through the Hub for the fourth time that afternoon, was that where Jess Parker was concerned he just had no guts whatsoever.

Matt had been thrown out of his office for the day because one of his plants had apparently developed some sort of odd growth and why yes he _had_ brought it from the future but it was just a plant, there was no need to completely fumigate his office. Lester, apparently, disagreed. So, Matt was sitting out at the desk Becker liked to use because it was right next to Jess. Or, as Becker claimed, close to the ADD so that he would be instantly available for an anomaly alert.

Becker seemed to be instantly available to take Jess a coffee. And to pick up a file for her when it slid off her station onto the floor. And to take her another coffee.

"If you give her any more caffeine we'll have to sedate her," Matt warned.

Becker looked mildly alarmed at the idea. Matt rolled his eyes but as Becker wasn't looking at him it didn't matter. He rolled his eyes a second time. Becker, he supposed, was reliving _that_ incident with the future bugs. In fact, now that Matt thought about it, Lester hadn't seemed particularly fussed about his mutated plant until Becker had heard about it and marched into their boss's office. Ten minutes later Matt had been ordered out as health and safety moved in.

Becker probably thought the plant was growing a giant bug or something.

It wasn't. That particular plant had always been susceptible to rot in the mild non-apocalyptic climate.  And anyway, Jess had learned her lesson and always kept her epi-pen close to hand now. And ever since that event, and especially after the near-apocalypse of the New Dawn and convergence incident, Becker had been positively soppy over her. It was sickening.

If his plant was growing a giant bug, it was probably doing Becker a favour, he thought as he watched Becker wander over to Jess, stand behind her chair for a moment and then lean over to query something that had appeared on one of her monitors. Honestly, it was pathetic the way a grown man, a trained soldier, could actually stand there mooning over some girl like that. In Matt's time they tended to meet if they were lucky, rut in a corner and then go their separate ways. It was quick and practical. None of this courtship nonsense.

He pondered what Becker's reaction might be if he pointed this out. Or, better, if he pointed it out in front of Jess. Becker might actually hit him, so perhaps it wasn't a good idea. Funny, though.

"What are you smirking at?" Becker growled as he passed Matt's desk. He was carrying an empty plastic coffee cup.

Matt nodded at the cup. "Mines black, one sugar."

"Make it yourself." Becker lobbed the cup towards the nearest bin. It missed.

Matt regarded the fallen cup with something approaching despair. It was even affecting Becker's aim. Something had to be done.

"Oh man up and ask her out," Matt muttered under his breath.

"What?" Becker actually had the nerve to look affronted. And was that a hint of a blush?

"You know you want to. Please, for all our sakes!"

"I... That's unprofessional! We work together."

Matt leaned back in his chair. He was getting a bit of a headache. It might be sugar-induced. Left to his own devices, Becker would probably retire before he got around to asking Jess on a date. Matt didn't think he could stand working with them that long. So...

"Hey Jess!"

Becker glared at him. "What are you doing?" he hissed as Jess swivelled in her chair to face them. Matt ignored him.

"Is there anything on at the movies that looks worth seeing?"

"Matt..." Becker whispered. "Stop it."

Jess apparently didn't even need to think about it. "There's a new Avengers film out. It's supposed to be the best one yet."

"You're really not funny," Matt heard Becker say under his breath.

"I really wanted to see it," Jess continued. "But there hasn't been time and it finishes tomorrow."

"That's okay. Are you free tonight?"

Jess stared at him, obviously not sure what to say.

"With Emily and I," he added quickly and watched her face relax. "Dinner first."

"What...?" Becker breathed. If his frown got any deeper, it might crack his face Matt thought.

"That would be lovely."

"What about you, Becker? Are you free? For a film with lots of shooting and fighting? And food?"

"Um... yes." Becker was looking a little bewildered but that didn't matter.

"Great, I'll book a table. Six-thirty at Strada?"

Jess beamed at him happily. "That'll be lovely! I'm looking forward to it." Matt didn't miss the happy smile she directed towards Becker before turning back to her station.  Good, that settled it.

Becker was regarding him suspiciously. "What are you up to?"

Matt shook his head innocently. "Nothing." He unlocked his phone, then gave a loud, somewhat exaggerated groan of despair. "Oh _no!_ "

Becker's eyes narrowed. "What?"

"I'd forgotten. Emily got us tickets for the theatre this evening." Slyly, he gave a sidelong look at Jess, who had swivelled round in her seat looking a little dismayed. And that dismayed look was mostly directed at Becker. Perfect.

"That's okay," Jess told him. "We can all go another night."

"But you were looking forward to it. Ah, I know! Becker can still take you!"

"Matt..." Becker growled, but Matt ignored him.

"That's okay, isn't it? You don't want to let Jess down? She was looking forward to it, weren't you, Jess?"

"Well... yes, but..."

"That's settled then." Matt closed down his computer and got up. "It's a date!" Excellent, Jess was blushing and Becker was doing a fine impression of a gasping fish. "You two have fun. Jess, Emily will want to hear all about it tomorrow."

"Matt!"   Becker almost squeaked.

"Oh grow a pair you great wimp," Matt hissed back at him. "You'll thank me for this later."

And he left them to it, because really there was only so much he could take.

\---

In the morning Matt had his office back. And a box on his desk from the bakery on the corner. It had a cupcake inside with several big pink hearts stuck on it.

He sincerely hoped that was from Jess but when he ran into Becker a little later and saw just how pleased with himself the captain was looking, he did wonder.


End file.
